"This mysterious area in between Austin and Fallon looks to hold many secrets. I'd say, much like the Desatoyas, one of the more isolated and often forgotten ranges in the western half of the state. It's easy to imagine any lone Pony Express rider trying to get his bearings in this very primal landscape of rugged peaks and lonely valleys. Where do I go? How long will it take to get there? Even with the convenience of an air-conditioned pickup truck, the landscape has changed little. You better believe we're humble, and still very much susceptible to its its calling..." -- October 2009

---

Along US 50, 39 miles W of Austin Churchill   39.529824, -117.726616

---

Original Date Visited: 10/26/09
Signed: Both lanes of US 50

---

Here's what you'll see!

---

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

  A moody storm hangs above Marker 111

Exact Description:
This valley was favored by prehistoric Indians for its abundant grass and brush found near its springs and intermittent streams. Shoshonean Indians and their ancestors traveled seasonally to gather wild seeds and small game and settled here in winter camps.

In 1854, Col. John Reese discovered an emigrant/wagon route through Edwards Creek Valley that was shorter than the Humboldt Trail. Established by surveyor James Simpson in 1859, it was followed by the Pony Express, the Overland Telegraph, the Overland Mail stages, and in 1862, it became the Austin Gold Rush Route. It was the principal east-west commercial artery for Nevada until 1880.

Lonely Marker 111 in between Austin and Fallon. The Desatoya Range in the background received a small burst of lightning just moments after this was taken!

---